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A Manual Of The Infusoria, Including a Descripiton of All Known Flagellate, Ciliate, and TentaculiferousProtozoa. British Andn Foreign and an Account of the Organization and Affinities of the Sponges

London: David Bogue, 1880-1882. 1/2 Leather. 1st Edition. Large 8vo (25.6 x 16.7 cm). Bound in 19th century half green morocco and marble boards. 3 Volumes (1 Text and 1 Plates). Collation: Volume I: [vii] viii-x, [1] 2-472 pp. + hand colored frontispiece; Volume II [iv] [473] 474-914 pp.; Volume III: [iv] [104] pp. + 52 lithograph plates. All the plates were delineated by Kent with his signature as delineator. Spines with raised bands and panels with gilt floral pattern. Title and Volume information are in separate panels. Wear to edges and corners. Marble boards have some wear and loss along edges. There is wear to the spine, hinges and corners of each volume. Corners are bumped. All edges of text are marbled. The marble pattern on covers is present on endpapers. Internal condition of text and plates is very good. There is bookplate of John Tennant on front pastedown. Very Good. Item #0000107

This a remarkable treatise by Saville-Kent who dedicates his efforts to Thomas Huxley. There are more than 200 individual specimens meticulously drawn by Saville from his personal observations. This is quite a remarkable accomplishment in locating samples, examining them and then making a detail drawing not only of the cellular organism proper and its external and internal structure(s) but aspects of feeding and locomotion and reproduction by subdivision or encystment. Plate LII contains an illustration of the microscope apparatus used by Saville in his examination of ciliate organisms or infusoria. The accompanying text explains the author's process for examining unicellular organisms with his microscope assembly. The introductory sections of volume I provide detailed information on the history of microscopic observation of protozoa before, including and after Leeuwenhoek. The author also provides a detailed classification of protozoa in tabular and diagrammatic manner. Saville-Kent was a marine biologist and author developed his scientific skills in marine biology at different museums and aquaria of England before going to Australia to work on fishery issues. Saville-Kent's career was futhered by noted biologists of his time, viz. Owen, Huxley and Flower. Buckland encouraged his interest in aquaculture. In his private time he examined organisms from the Great Barrier Reef and other marine sites. The present treatise is the second work done by Saville-Kent and can be regarded as a 19th century magnum opus to the field of Protozoology. (BMNH P.869; NISSEN ZBI, 3610).